DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (12/3) Epistle for Thursday
of the Twenty-Sixth Week after Pentecost
Godly Clergy: 1 Timothy
3:1-13, especially vs. 10: “But
let these also...be tested; then let them serve...being found
blameless.” Here is godly counsel from the Apostle Paul concerning the
identification, training and appointment of competent leadership for the
Church. His direction continues a
major emphasis in this letter - the transmitting of the Faith to succeeding
generations. Hence, he directs that
without blameless, competent, and mature clergy, efforts to pass on the Faith
to succeeding generations will falter, leaving the Church weakened and less
effective.
The present-day Orthodox Christian who reads this
first-century letter of
If you are not familiar with the historical development of
the Church’s ordained ministry, realize that the clergy of the early
Church, very much like the clergy today were men having our common weaknesses
and strengths, even though their social and marital circumstances differed.
The unfolding of the Church’s ministry has a certain
analogy to the development of living organisms. For instance, many seeds sprout and push
up through the soil, first appearing as dicotyledons,
tiny but simple two-leaf plants that will look much different as they grow
subsequently into mature plants.
Similarly, the earliest historical records concerning the clergy reveal
an ordained ministry that had a somewhat different shape than the more evolved
classes and ranks of Holy Orders in the Church today.
The point is this: the ministry grew and developed with the
Church, taking different forms at different stages of its development, even though
all the Church’s clergy are organically related over time in the Body of
Christ. As
Especially note the emphasis of the Apostle on worthy moral
character. He asserts that the
clergy must be blameless (vss. 2,10), have good
behavior (vs. 2), not given to wine (vss. 3,8) and not be violent,
greedy (vss. 3,8), not quarrelsome nor covetous (vs. 3). Also, they must not be filled with pride
(vs. 6), nor be double-tongued (vs. 8), but hold ‘...the mystery
of the faith with a pure conscience” (vs. 9). And has not much mischief been inflicted
on our communities because of a very few clergy who have given themselves up
into immorality! Thank God, the
great majority of our ordained Pastors are men who lead pure, moral, and faithful
lives!
The Apostle admonishes Timothy to be very careful that both
Bishops and Deacons are mature. He
mentions that they must be “...the husband of one wife,” not
polygamous (vss. 2,12). They must be sober-minded (vs. 2),
temperate (vs. 2), gentle (vs. 3), and never novices in the Faith (vs. 6). Observation of candidates over time (vs.
10) helps in identifying demonstrated capacity found blameless (vs. 10). The pressures of life are such that
clergy must be balanced and settled in themselves as persons, which is why our
hierarchs today usually take care to assure good general education, seminary
training, and other testing before they ordain men.
Finally, the Apostle urges that clergy have “...a
good testimony among those who are outside...” (vs. 7), and are able to
rule in their own homes (vss. 4,12). Here again are two arenas where telling
criticism may appear to weaken a clergyman’s witness. Pray for our Pastors!
O Master, Christ, may Thy Holy Spirit ever guide Thy Church
in choosing and ordaining men worthy to stand before Thy Throne, edify Thy
people, and feed the flock of Thy Pasture.
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